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Original poster

Where to arrange a circumcision

277 replies

dawnharvey68 · 25/02/2007 21:49

If we have a boy, we plan on having him circumcised. But it's proving exceedingly difficult finding someone to do it where we live.
My husband was born in the USA where pretty much all boys are circumcised routinely before they leave the hospital and it seems strange here that it is so difficult to arrange such a simple thing.
I'd be interested to hear if others found it as difficult.
It seems quite a common problem in the UK, finding someone who will perform a newborn circumcision, so I a support group for those trying to sort it out:
health.groups.yahoo.com/group/babycircuk/
All I have been able to find so far is that if you are in the south of England/London area, you are particularly well served:
Luton: www.circumcision-agency.com/
London: www.circumcisions.co.uk/
London: www.theportlandhospital.com/
London: www.samedaydoctor.co.uk/links.aspx
Reading: www.circumcision-uk.com/
UK Mohels: www.lubavitchuk.com/services/religious/mohellist.shtml
www.mohel-circumcision.co.uk/
www.londoncircumcision.co.uk/
plus probably others that would appear on a search.
Does anyone know of anyone else that will perform them?

OP posts:
mummylin2495 · 26/02/2007 11:12

it is a completely out of date custom here in the uk thank god.i can see no justification in subjecting a tiny baby to such a horrible thing.The only way i would condone this is if it was for a health reason.As someone else on here stated we do have access to soap and water !i hope you have a girl !!!

SaucyMoo · 26/02/2007 11:17

Im sorry but some of you are crazy! Circumcision is such a norm in 2 major world religions, to suggest this is a wind up is sooo silly. I cant believe some people can be so narrow minded.....agreed if you dont want to circumcise your son, its your choice and if you do its your choice. You choose to give them immunisations, some babies react to them but its not going to stop you from getting them done..painful as it may be at the time.

You guys need to chill!

quietmouse · 26/02/2007 11:18

oh yes, please, please, please let it be a girl

expatinscotland · 26/02/2007 11:18

But Saucy, there's a DIFFERENCE between a religious practice and doing this for cosmetic reasons.

quietmouse · 26/02/2007 11:19

you are wrong SaucyMoo, it is wrong. It is abuse imo.

quietmouse · 26/02/2007 11:22

narrow minded?

frances5 · 26/02/2007 11:22

Thousands of years ago it used to be OK to sacifice animals or even small children in the name of religion. We have moved on as a society.

There are many European countries that have outlawed smacking and even in the UK many health professional frown on it.

I think that ear piecing or circumcism on a baby should be made illegial. I hate the idea of a small baby being in pain. Where is the medical evidence to suggest that a baby feels less pain than an adult?

SaucyMoo · 26/02/2007 11:22

Just because a practice isnt the norm in your own culture or religion does not mean its 'barbaric'. And the reason its done early on is so that there is no mental stigma attached to it. So you cant condemn parents for having it done on a newborn!

Just for the record FGM is not a religious practice (i think someone also mentioned this earlier)

SaucyMoo · 26/02/2007 11:27

Expat- thanks but the extreme views of some people here show that they mean circumcision full stop-religious or otherwise.

Frances if you actually knew anything about it, youd know that it a anasthetic is given so the baby cant feel the procedure. My son wasnt grumpy or unhappy at all for the 2 weeks that followed. Ofcourse he felt the pain of the anasthetic and for that i felt bad, as any mother would feel when their child is in pain, like i was for his immunisations.

quietmouse · 26/02/2007 11:29

i'm sorry but i just don't get it. It seems so outdated and un necessary. How can you possibly justify it to yourself??

SpaceCadet · 26/02/2007 11:30

ive personally never been able to understand it..i have a jewish background and infuriated my father when i refused to have ds1 circumcised..i can remember my grandmother telling horror stories of babies circumcised during the religious ceremony held on the 8th days..who had almost bled to death..my father apprently screamed relentlessly for an hour after it was done.

SaucyMoo · 26/02/2007 11:33

LOl! frances, sacrificing animals in the name of religion is still done-ALL OVER THE WORLD-the meat is given to the poor-erm so whats so bad about this again? Obviously you are not well read about other cultures and religions.

Quiet mouse-its really not a big deal, did not think twice. Reason being, i believe in everything my religion has commanded (through proof-not blind faith) and anything that is commanded i will try and do. Im not a perfect muslim but will try and adhere to as many customs as i can. Its so funny because if i tell a muslim or a jew about this thread they would rofl at some peoples views!

mummylin2495 · 26/02/2007 11:36

so if your child has a slightly longer finger than he should have you gonna cut it off cause it dosent look so nice ? poor little baby.

SaucyMoo · 26/02/2007 11:36

I feel bad for those people who have had awful experiences, its really important to get a good docter. As i said earlier the HV suggested one to me as did someone we know-so it was from recommendation-obviously anything related to a newborn is nerve-racking and i admit its not the nicest thing to have done, but if you gotta do what you gotta do!
Nowadays the risk of infection, bleeding to death etc should be much less than back in the day surely.

SaucyMoo · 26/02/2007 11:37

mummylin-who are you talking to?

mummylin2495 · 26/02/2007 11:38

as for the risk of infections we all know that at the moment you are lucky to not pick one up in hospitals at the moment,so why take the risk when it dosent have to be done ?

themildmanneredjanitor · 26/02/2007 11:38

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

mummylin2495 · 26/02/2007 11:38

i was talking to the op why?

SaucyMoo · 26/02/2007 11:45

janitor-i guess you are right-it just depends on how you view your own religion. things like not drinking, praying etc arent really a choice for me as i have chosen to follow a certain religion and path-and hence will try and do all those things. that doesnt mean i dont question things-i do, but this one didnt even cross my mind. i think because it really is the norm in my community that no-one thinks twice. it comes from not being exposed to other religions. if you knew lots and lots of muslims and jews you wouldnt think its so strange. You may still disagree with it, but im sure a lot of you wouldnt react how you have done.

Nikki76 · 26/02/2007 11:50

Well I think the whole idea of a forum is to discuss things and I can honestly say we have done that here!!!

Its clear everyone has their own opinions on this and rather than argue until the cows come home, lets take a break and have a kit kat!!! hands chocs out all around

Eleusis · 26/02/2007 11:52

I am American, and I agree that circumcision is not a big deal. It is seen as a medical procedure, but it is preventatve rather than corrective. Many people feel it is much better to do it when they are new borns than it is to put an older child through it if he has problems which then lead to a circumcision.

My brother had it done in the hospital just after birht. But, my sis ter is now of the view that it's a bad thing and so has refused to have her sons (2 of them) done. Although her x husband is very unhappy about this.

mm22bys · 26/02/2007 12:02

I agree it does come down to choice.....but I think the only person who should be "allowed" to exercise that choice is the owner of the penis.

I don't buy the arguments that it's better to have it done as children because then they wouldn't remember the experience or the pain. Research shows all sorts of experiences even in the womb are imprinted on the child's consciousness, and what other practices should we allow to happen to newborns just because they "won't remember it"?

The arguments too that it's better to do it as newborns than to wait for the very small chance indeed that an older child will need a circumcision don't hold either. How many needless circumcisions are therefore done? "Medically necessary" circumcisions make up such a tiny proportion, why not wait to see if it does actually need doing? At least an older child / adult can have adequate pain relief, can tell you if he's in pain, and won't have to sit in wet / soiled nappies while the wound is healing.

quietmouse · 26/02/2007 12:24

SaucyMoo - I understand that you wish to follow your religion. But what about your child? When did the newborn baby suddenly become able to tell you he wanted to too?

It may not be a big deal to you, but it's not your penis, is it?

mm22bys · 26/02/2007 12:27

Wouldn't religious circ mean a lot more if the person who was being "inducted into" the religion decided for themselves they wanted it done?

frances5 · 26/02/2007 12:37

SaucyMoo,

I know they sacrifice animals in other countries. Other countries also stone young girls to death for not wearing the veil or other immoral acts which we would consider trival. Women arent allowed to drive a car or vote or they cut people's hands off for petty theft in the name of religion.

Religion isn't an excuse for the ill treatment and denying basic human rights to people. Just because bad things happen in less advanced countries doesn't mean that it is OK in this country.